A National Independent Living Support Service (NILSS)

There are a number of reasons why a National Independent Living Support Service (NILSS)must be made national. The postcode lottery is an obvious one. But, more importantly, when post-2020 local authorities cease to receive monies from central government if there is no national structure for social care in place, there will be a nationwide collapse of the system.
Unless, and until, we have a NILSS in place we will remain in limbo, in a half-way-house between LAs and the NHS; medicalised on the one hand while socially isolated on the other. Nor do we want to become subsumed into the NHS, for many of us don't need medical interventions to allow us to live independently, no we need our right to independent living recognised and respected.

Lambeth's policy on disability is "Everything about you without you!"

In December 2016 Lambeth Council made a presentation in ‘We Are 336’. The presentation centred around an Equality Commission that Lambeth was setting up in order to gather the ideas and views of people who are covered by one or more of the protected characteristics. On this occasion they were concentrating on disabled people living in Lambeth.

After introductions, the council representative went through a list people and organisations involved in the project. When she completed the list, I asked if there would be a disabled service user, or a Disabled People’s Organisation, on the commission. ‘No’ was the answer.

Pushing the issue, I asked were they familiar with the disabled peoples’ slogan, “Nothing about us without us!” At which point the organiser of the event asked for the business of the meeting to move on.

After the presentation there was a table by table group of discussions. The discussions were to be linked to the commission and how disabled people could make an input.

There were six tables, and each reported back. In answer to the first question which related to the best was for the commission to interact with Lambeth’s disabled residents, each table made the point of the commission needing service user and ordinary disabled people on the commission. They also felt that a local DPO should have a place on the commission.

In response to these demands the council rep said it would be difficult for them to select disabled people or DPOs. I asked how they arrived at the list of commissioners as presented to us. 

No reply.

Yesterday I was meant to attend an event run by the Lambeth Equality Commission. A few weeks ago, I was called by someone representing the commission. After a somewhat forthright discussion with the rep, during which I gave her my views of the commission, and my reluctance to engage with them, I agreed to Chair a Workshop on ‘Being Counted and Heard’.

When I arrived yesterday I was given an Agenda. The rep I’d received a call from introduced herself and thanked me for coming. When I enquired at which table I’d be chairing I was told that a Lambeth employee was chairing, but I’d have the opportunity to make a contribution.

At this I told her I would not be taking part. Once again Lambeth has missed the point. In the first place I was led to believe that I’d be a keynote speaker, then a chair of one of the workshops. But of course, Lambeth has no control over me and therefore as a disabled person, a Lambeth service user, what the hell would I know about disability-related issues.

Lambeth Council merely pays lip-service to disabled people.

Let's Create a National Independent Living Support Service

At yesterday’s TUC General Council both Tim Roach, General Secretary (GS) of the GMB and Dave Prentice, Unison GS spoke about issues concerning their members in the social care sector. Listening to their contributions led me to make an intervention.

I stated that some 160,000 disabled people with social care packages have fallen into debt. Some personal charges can be very high, indeed I once paid over £90 per week as a personal contribution towards my care package.

As care packages are cut to the bone, this becomes a double whammy as it hits both the service user who has a reduction in their care and support; and it reduces the working hours of the personal assistant/support worker/carer. Thus, creating precarious and unsustainable employment conditions.

Picking up on Dave Prentice's link between social care and the health service, I agreed that there were indeed crossovers between the two. However, I went on to say that most people’s social care packages did not involve health interventions; and of the dangers of the over-medicalisation of independent living.  

Going on I put forward the idea of creating a National Care Service, or as the disability movement has named a National Independent Living Support Service. A stand-alone service working alongside the NHS and Local Authorities and at the point of delivery.

Finally, I called upon the TUC to arrange a seminar to discuss the crisis in social care for all users.

Trump will manage to ride the wave of international censure

Once again Trump is forced to make a U-turn on an unfavourable Executive Order. When images of crying children held in chain-link cages at US border crossings flashed around the world there was an international outcry.

Trump, being media savvy, realised the potential damage this policy could cause ended the detention of migrant children saying “So we're going to have strong, very strong borders, but we’re going to keep the families together. I didn't like the sight or the feeling of families being separated.”

Despite the international outcry against Trump’s detention of children, or maybe because of it, I have no doubt The Donald will manage to persuade his followers that the uproar over locking up and separating migrant children from their parents was all ‘fake’ news.

What we need to remember is a large swathe of the US electorate has turned its back on the 'fake news' of the mainstream media. Trump has persuaded many of his followers that 'fake' news outlets are targeting him, and for them to take no notice of their reports.

Trump has cleverly manipulated these people. So instead, they now take any reports from the mainstream as 'fake' anti-Trump propaganda. And extremely dangerously, they now turn to Donald Trump to hear the 'true' news.

Even the fascists had at least to close down opposition media channels in order to take over all propagation of news. Trump is succeeding without physically closing down the opposition. Instead, he has caused his supporters to view any other news source as toxic.

Trump is unlike any other US president. He doesn't play by the rules of the established political class. He disregards convention, and his rules are formed by trial and error. Just as he has done with this news story.

Lambeth Equality Commission Update Wednesday 27 June from 2-5:15pm, Assembly Hall, Lambeth Town Hall

Back in 2016 Lambeth set up an Equality Commission. However, at this time the council did not see fit to include disabled people or grassroots disability organisations. Thus, the Commission findings did not truly reflect the concerns of Lambeth's disabled people. In order to try to rectify this exclusion Lambeth is running an even to try re-launch the social model for disability.

As Chair of the Lambeth Pan Disability Forum I have, after voicing a number of concerns, agreed to speak the event as well as Co-chair one of the workshops.  It would lend strength to the cause of disable people in Lambeth if as many of us turned up onthe day and made our feelings felt.

The aim of the event is to re-launch the social model for disability, update attendees on the council’s work to address barriers and provide an opportunity for disability organisations/disabled residents to feed into council activity.

The event agenda will include speakers: CEO/Leader/Cabinet Lead for Disability / council updates /7 themed workshops /information stalls and networking. A very draft agenda is attached fyi. 

The 7 themed workshops on areas where we know that there is particular appetite for activity and change are:

1. Being Counted: Visibility and Representation (voice in decision making) (VCS led)

2. Being Heard: Participation and Voice (Paul Simpson, Consultation and Engagement Team)

3. Being ‘at the table’ (representation and leadership) (led by Dem Services/ HR)

4. Access to information and support (needs a snappier title!) (To be led by customer services, comms and ICT colleagues)

5. Active lives: Transport, public realm and health (Public Health / transport/ parks)

6. Young People and Disability (ref to CY Plan/Lambeth Made)

7.Right for Everyone_HealthWatch programme

In Solidarity

Sean McGovern

Chair of the Lambeth Pan Disability Forum

A second referendum on Brexit could prove disastrous for Labour

A number of Labour MPs, persistent critics of Jeremy Corbyn, including David Lammy, Mike Gapes, Wes Streeting, Rushanara Ali, Margaret Hodge, and Tulip Siddiq are calling for a second referendum on Brexit.

The Borough in which I live, Lambeth, polled the second highest 'Remain' percentage in the country, including my vote. When the result came out I was taken aback. My initial thoughts were, WTF? 

When I analysed the areas that voted Brexit, along with the age demographics, I thought, "Fucking idiots." Regions that had benefitted greatly from EU monies over the years choosing to leave. Elderly people who voted Brexit were being selfish as well as fucking over their grandchildren's futures. 

Neither camp covered itself in glory during the EU referendum. Both sides used dishonest ways and means to progress their views. The whole campaign lacked honesty from both sides. 

But then, that's the way Britain conducts its politics. At every election that's held the British public is lied to on an industrial level. Yet we blithely dance to the tunes that get our mojo working.

We live in a country that has lost much of its faith in what has become a political class. Holding another referendum on Brexit would be wrong. What little faith there is in politicos would vanish. Those traditional Labour areas that voted Brexit could be lost.

Wheelie bins littering Lambeth pavements

Do others else regard wheelie bins scattered around on pavements a problem? Or maybe this is just an issue for wheelchair users?

The pavements of Lambeth become impassable on days of refuse-collection. On these days pavements become a slalom course for wheelchair users, of which I'm one. Indeed, some pathways become totally unusable forcing me onto the road, thus endangering my safety.

As refuse is collected on different days, usually, Mondays to Fridays, one pavement or another is littered with bins either empty or waiting to be emptied. So for most of the week, I am confronted with these plastic barriers forcing me off safe paths onto roads inhabited by fast-moving traffic.

At the moment householders are responsible for leaving out their own refuse containers. This is usually on the pavement outside their properties. Therefore, wheelie bins, and their like, may be blocking the pavement from early morning, on the way out to work, and late evening, on return from work. And of course, people’s coming, and goings are staggered which means the bins are blocking pavements for most of the day. 

Lambeth Council must insist that refuse-collectors are responsible for taking the refuse containers from gardens or designated areas, emptying the containers and replacing the containers in their proper spaces. The pavement is not a proper space in which to leave refuse containers.

In the past I’ve heard the usual excuse from the Council maintaining that the refuse collection companies are not responsible for the position of containers, that is an issue for individual householders. They claim it’s a contractual issue.

Well, let’s explain to Lambeth that contracts are not one-sided agreements. It takes at least two parties to form a contract. And I would strenuously argue that the collection and disposal of rubbish should not impinge upon or endanger the lives of people going about their lawful business.

Therefore, let’s take the onus off householders, many of whom can’t be expected to take their refuse containers back in immediately following collection, as things like work, etc. get in the way. Instead, the Council needs to either reinforce current contracts that state that collectors must retrieve and replace bins from front gardens, etc. Or if no such clause exists then amend the contract accordingly.